Abstract
The role of emotionality in mediating conditioned helplessness was tested by comparing the performance of 16 handled (low emotionality) and 16 nonhandled (high emotionality) litters of rats, half of each group having had prior experience with inescapable shock (conditioned helplessness) and half without such experience on a task requiring escape from shock. Generalization of helplessness effects was tested by subsequently testing Ss in a two-way shuttle box with a loud escapable buzzer as the US. Differences in activity level in the absence of an aversive stimulus were measured later. Prior experience with inescapable shock did inhibit performance on the shock-escape task but emotionality did not, nor did emotionality differences interact with prior experience with inescapable shock. Emotionality affected shuttle-box performance, but conditioned helplessness did not. Activity level was reduced significantly by the conditioned helplessness experience, but only marginally related to emotionality.
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